Two people died Saturday afternoon on Loop 202 when an elderly driver lost control of his vehicle during a possible medical emergency and crashed into a freeway embankment, Mesa fire officials said.
Mesa fire Capt. Steve Ward said witnesses saw the vehicle's passenger reach over and try to take control of the vehicle after the driver began to have trouble. Ward said the driver was a 75-year-old man and the passenger was a 77-year-old woman.
Ward said investigators did not find skid marks on the scene, and therefore speculated that the car's brakes were not applied prior to the crash.
Authorities did not release the victims' identities because relatives had not yet been notified.
Ward said the one-vehicle collision happened at 2:52 p.m. on the westbound Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway near the Val Vista Drive exit.
Arizona Department of Public Safety Sgt. William Duff said the freeway remained open, but the Val Vista off ramp was closed during the investigation.
